Best SAD light therapy lamps in 2024, tried and tested | CNN Underscored

Oct 19, 2024

Best SAD light therapy lamp: Verilux Happy Light Luxe

Runner-up for best SAD light therapy lamp: Circadian Optics Lampu

Best portable SAD light therapy lamp: Circadian Optics Lumos 2.0 Light Therapy Lamp

The shorter daylight hours and less sunlight in the fall and winter mean less light exposure, which can make you feel listless and want to sleep all day. This case of the seasonal blues might make you head to your healthcare provider to see what’s wrong. If you’re diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that can occur during fall and winter, a SAD light therapy lamp might help you brighten your days and boost your energy levels. Research shows that lamps with a light intensity of 10,000 lux placed 16 to 24 inches away at a 45-degree angle from the eyes for 30 minutes can help treat SAD and other mood disorders.

We have many years of experience conducting hands-on testing of all kinds of cold weather-related health and wellness devices and sleep essentials — from the best cold plunge tubs, space heaters and heated gloves to the best mattresses, air mattresses and flannel sheets.

Now, we’ve spent weeks testing seven SAD light therapy lamps, evaluating them based on their overall light quality, number of settings, durability, design and more. In the end, three SAD light therapy lamps outperformed the rest, giving you three options to help you feel better this fall and winter.

The Verilux Happy Light Luxe is the most customizable SAD light therapy lamp we tested. During testing, we loved its four brightness levels and three color temperatures. Plus it offers a timer that can be set in multiple time increments. We also liked that it can be wall-mounted, plus it's durable as it survived our drop-test with flying colors.

The Circadian Optics Lampu light therapy lamp performs the most important functions of a SAD light therapy lamp well. We found it well-designed, sturdy and easy to use. We particularly liked its non-slip bottom, which not all SAD light therapy lamps have.

The Circadian Optics Lumos 2.0 Light Therapy Lamp is smaller than the other lamps we tested but its portability, durability and slender design make it a great travel companion. During testing, we liked its swivel feature that let us point the light at just the needed angle.

Hands down our favorite SAD lamp, the Verilux Happy Light Luxe has it all with zero unnecessary fluff. It’s packable and powerful and is the most customizable lamp we tested. It’s a true champion, seriously outperforming the competition even at its relatively reasonable price. Each of the extras is useful and well thought out.

For example, no other light we tested offered a color temperature adjustment. Quick lesson: No light is actually white. Color temperature is the warmth or coolness of the light, or the amount of pink, gold or blue tint. Generally, higher-lux lights like SAD lamps tend to have cooler — more blue — temperatures. But the Happy Light Luxe allows you to adjust its brightness and temperature. Opt for cool light like summertime sunlight or go for a warm light to mimic a cozy late sunrise or early sunset.

The three controls are easy to figure out — with a quick test or read of the instructions — and are right on the front so there’s significantly less fumbling, picking up or feeling around for a button than other models we tested. Overall, setting combinations seem endless, especially when we factor in not just the whopping four brightness levels and three color temperatures but a timer that can be set in five-minute increments up to one full 60-minute session. The timer is ideal for a long morning session or an afternoon pick-me-up at the tap of a button. Finding the perfect combination is part of the charm of this lamp; you can adjust the settings until you find which of the 144 combinations works best for you.

Other interesting things to note about this lamp are its versatility and durability. It can be mounted on the wall using a simple kit included in the box. You just swap the foot from the bottom to the back of the light and use a screw with an included anchor to hang it wherever you’d like. This lets it work with even the smallest, most cluttered room or desk.

When we drop-tested the UV-free Happy Light Luxe, we pushed it off a desk onto a rug and then from a countertop onto a hard floor — several times each. The attachable foot fell off each time but easily slipped back on without any physical damage or malfunction afterward. Speaking of design, this light is slim, slick and easy on the eyes. The corners are rounded and the matte screen prevents glare when on or off. The white case could contrast with some decors and might get dusty, but swiping with a damp cloth easily cleans that up.

One odd downfall of this light is that its cord isn’t very long at just under 6 feet. The other two winners have cords longer than 7 feet, which isn’t a big difference, but we struggled to get the Happy Light Luxe’s cord to reach the outlet behind our 36-inch-deep desk and ended up using an extension cord. We also found ourselves wanting the ability to swivel or raise the light to customize the experience even more.

Even in the box, we had a hunch we’d love the Circadian Optics Lampu The packaging was thoughtful, and the design was well beyond necessity, which gave us hope that more attention to detail was to come. Turns out we were right. It’s got looks, produces brilliant light, is easy to move around the home or office and won’t break easily if dropped.

Lampu is more of a modernist sculpture than other lamps we tested, which makes it both simple and a conversation piece. Its circular shape also seems to benefit its durability, because when we conducted the drop test, its lack of corners to shatter helped it immensely. After multiple drops, the Lampu still looked and functioned like new. The construction overall feels solid, with all its components tightly connected with no jiggling or rattling. It got the highest score for the drop test of any lamp we tested, though it is weighty enough that it won’t knock over easily. After much twisting and testing, none of its parts showed signs of loosening. The cord is also much longer than the winner’s — 7 feet 4 inches versus 5 feet 10 inches. The Lampu has a slightly smaller light-surface area than the Happy Light Luxe — 38.5 square inches for the Lampu and 54 square inches for the Happy Light Luxe. Something about its round shape made it feel more like a sun lamp and cozier than the Happy Light Luxe, which seemed more utilitarian with its rectangular shape and stand.

There are several reasons why this lamp didn’t snag our winning spot; however, the biggest is its lack of settings. The Lampu has only three brightness levels you access by tapping the button one, two or three times. The single button’s placement is also not ideal: It’s on the back of the lamp, so until you have become one with your lamp and know exactly where it is — you can’t feel it because it’s purely touch, not a switch — you will have to pick it up and look for it or feel around until something happens. We found feeling around annoying and instead picked it up each time, which, admittedly, is also annoying, but faster and less awkward.

It doesn’t have a timer, so you’ll have to set your phone or something else to know when to shut it off. It doesn’t have color temperature adjustment either, so you’re stuck with the standard cool shine. Also, its glassy face does look shiny and slick, but it can reflect other light sources in the room and cause a slight glare. Speaking of the design, although it looks like something out of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and we appreciated that, it may not work with more traditional decor. A wall-mount option is not included, but for what it lacks in extra features it makes up for with quality construction and thoughtful design — other than that button on the back.

If hopping on planes to different time zones or heading farther north or south regularly is part of your routine, then the Circadian Optics Lumos 2.0 Light Therapy Lamp is the right SAD lamp for you. It folds up in such a fun, swivelly way and emits a surprising amount of light for having such a small light-surface area of 9 square inches. The folding could be seen as an issue if the parts were janky, but this lean, mean light therapy machine swivels into uncountable positions so that you can get your shot of 10,000 lux in almost any scenario.

The swivel is a nice feature that lets you point the light at the right angle. Folded up, the Lumos measures a petite 14 inches by 2.5 inches by 1.25 inches, so you can take it with you almost anywhere in your work bag or carry-on suitcase. This long, tall light is also wall mountable, which makes it ready to work in any situation where space is at a premium. Another thing we like about both Circadian Optics lamps is the organized, well-designed and simple-to-open packaging. When it came time for the drop test, this little guy took a licking and kept ticking. We thought the slender design would cause it to break apart when knocked off a counter onto a wood floor, but it survived all the drop tests completely unscathed.

Although the light is bright and can be swiveled for maximum benefit, it doesn’t provide a true sunshine experience because of the small surface area. This is why it didn’t take top honors. This lamp also doesn’t have a timer or any other setting beyond the three brightness settings. The single button is placed right on the front so it’s easy to find and tap once, twice or three times to achieve your preferred brightness, but of the three settings, it seemed like only the brightest could be considered competitive with the other lamps. We tested this on a particularly dark and groggy winter New York City morning and the highest setting was the only one to break through the gray overcast natural light that came in through the window.

The Lumos comes with an attachable foot for use on a desktop rather than wall mounting for added versatility, but it comes across as an afterthought. This lamp is very lightweight and somewhat unstable on a crowded desk. We’d like to see the base more weighted for maximum stability. The plastic of the base is sturdy, but a nonslip bottom would also be an improvement. As it is, it’s pretty easy to knock over. Even just pushing the button on the front caused it to wobble.

To make sure we truly found the best SAD light therapy lamp, we spent weeks testing. We compared performance, build, features and warranty, all by the same criteria. We took notes on how each handled, from unboxing to falling off a desk onto a hard floor.

As much of the United States is about to experience darker months, it made for a perfect scenario to test the brightness options and overall light experience. Our home office was overloaded with boxes and cables and it was clear right away which were the front runners and which were not. Testing them simultaneously lets us identify differences you wouldn’t otherwise notice when using one lamp at a time. Subtle differences in things like brightness and light experience became obvious, while important features like a timer and desk footprint emerged as stark points of differentiation.

All the lamps we tested met the 10,000 lux light therapy brightness recommendation, but from there, they each provided their own unique experience. From packaging to customizing the light’s angle, brightness and color temperature, we ran each light through the paces to see which rose to the top. Lamps with larger surface areas produced a more enveloping light that felt less directed than smaller lights but their bulkiness often made them less appealing overall. Most lamps we tested didn’t have timers, which we thought was odd considering there’s a standard recommended time limit for exposure to a light therapy lamp of 20 to 60 minutes. It’s not too much extra work, however, to use an egg timer or the timer on a phone.

Our three winners scored high marks in the usefulness of their various light settings and controls as well as their mobility. This is how we tested each lamp to determine our winners:

Length of warranty ranged widely from one year to seven years, and points were awarded accordingly.

Before purchasing one of these lights you might ask, “What is SAD, anyway?” Seasonal affective disorder is defined as a bout of depression during the same time frame each year for at least two years in a row, followed by remission during the remaining months, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Women and people who live in areas that see less daylight in the winter months seem to be more affected than others, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

If that sounds familiar, the next logical question may be “Can a SAD lamp help?” Since 1984 when it was first researched, bright light therapy (BLT) has proven to shift circadian rhythm and improve those winter doldrums again and again. Enter the SAD lamp. Scientists have started zeroing in on exactly what kind of light, when to use it and how much light will do the trick. The two key things that have been identified to get the best results are 10,000 lux brightness and UV-filtered light. In general, the light should be 16 to 24 inches from your face and point toward your eyes from the side and at an angle of about 45 degrees, or halfway between your nose and your shoulder. Never look directly at the light. (You wouldn’t look at the sun, would you? That’s basically what this is mimicking.) Thirty minutes at 10,000 lux first thing in the morning (generally recommended to occur before 8 a.m.) is the equivalent of one hour of sunrise. See the lamp’s instructions for its specific recommendations.

Before adding a SAD lamp to your morning routine, speak with your doctor. Certain supplements, lifestyles and medical conditions have been shown to reduce or negatively impact the use of light therapy. Even with a doctor’s approval, it’s recommended to test your reaction to the light by setting it about 18 inches from your face at an indirect angle (ideally 45 degrees from your forward glance) for about 10 minutes. If you feel dizzy, get a headache or experience any other odd symptoms, a SAD lamp may not be for you.

This SAD light therapy lamp from Aura Day failed our drop test when we pushed it off our kitchen counter onto the hard floor beneath. Its light dimmed and flickered and we could not turn it back on. That said, if you plan to leave it in one place, it could be a good choice. On a positive note, it has a timer, easily clickable buttons and turn-dial features that are easy to use.

We really wanted to like this Aura Day Light Lamp. We assumed it would dazzle us but we were wrong. It didn’t and, in fact, it completely broke during testing.

First, the good stuff: The Aura Day Light Lamp has the lowest minimum recommended exposure time of 15 minutes. It has five brightness levels and six time settings. The patented Lux Dial dimmer knob lets you customize your brightness or start low and increase the brightness as you adjust to the light. The other buttons have a satisfying gentle click when pushed and are easy to use right on the front. Other notable features are that the Aura is wall mountable and comes with a 7-foot-long cord — one of the longest we tested.

However, this lamp failed our drop test. We knocked it off the desk onto the rug and it made a rattling sound but kept working. When we knocked it off the kitchen counter onto the hard floor, the light dimmed, flickered, went out and would not turn back on. Even before the drop test, we could hear rattling inside the light, and the casing felt flimsy right out of the box. The materials didn’t seem tightly put together and while size wasn’t a major issue — we’ve tested larger lamps — it was bulkier than the winner and had a larger light-surface area of 96 square inches to go with it. Aura’s design also feels a bit dated, but the dimmer knob and large buttons make it easy for older folks to use.

This SAD light therapy lamp Carex was by far the biggest, bulkiest model we tested and it felt a bit top-heavy for our liking. Its swivel only goes in one direction (up and down) which limits how we could angle the light on our face. That said, if you’re looking for a big, bright and enveloping light from a lamp that can also function as a desk lamp, this is a good option.

The Carex Day-Light Classic Plus Light Therapy Lamp was a beast to get out of the packaging due to its large size. Plus it required assembly but came with its own tool to put it together. With such effort to get it on the desk along with its $100-plus price tag, we hoped it would be the star of the show. Alas, this lamp did not meet our expectations. For such a bulky stand, we wanted it to go higher so it could fit over our computer monitors, not just over a laptop screen. Also, the swivel only goes up and down, not side to side. It’s still nice to have the ability to adjust, but it feels over-engineered while still underperforming.

The large forked base helped stabilize the extra-large and extra-bright lightbox perched on a swiveling arm, but the top still felt heavier than the bottom, and it was easy to knock it off the desk with an elbow. After multiple falls, the Carex Day-Light Classic Plus Light Therapy Lamp kept working, so we didn’t dock points there. We were surprised that the swivel arm didn’t break its hinges when it crashed to the floor in its bent state, mostly because it seemed like it would take the brunt of the weight and pressure on impact. So we’ll give credit to its strong construction.

On another note, the slide switch sticks out of the side panel and adjusts from “hi” to “lo” to “off” positions. The switch construction and location make it easy to find, but it felt a little jangly when we wiggled it. The five-year warranty is a great bonus, but it wasn’t enough to push this light to the top.

We appreciated this SAD light therapy lamp’s black metal casing and massive surface area. However, this lamp’s construction was flimsy during our drop tests. Also, its lack of versatility and customization was apparent since its only setting or adjustment option is its on/off switch.

We loved the large surface area of the Northern Light Technologies Boxelite SAD light therapy lamp, as it meant its light enveloped us like we were outside in summertime and it did so without putting off any heat. We expected its metal casing to get hot but it did not. The top got slightly warm to the touch by the end of the recommended timeframe of 20 to 30 minutes, but that warmth never radiated out. The basic on/off switch was easy to use and did the job well. We should note that the on/off switch is the only feature on this lamp; there aren’t any settings or adjustments to be made. It also comes with a whopping seven-year warranty, the longest in our testing pool.

Although packaging wasn’t a specific criterion, it was part of the overall design that we considered. The Northern Light Technologies Boxelite packaging was not impressive, which was surprising considering the price point. The light was covered in bubble wrap and packing tape and then placed in a basic cardboard box with an 8.5-inch-by-11-inch black-and-white sheet of instructions. Each time we knocked the Northern Light Technologies Boxelite off the desk, one of the white plastic screws holding the screen onto the box would break off. We ended the drop tests with the light itself still working but only one screw still intact and a flapping screen. There weren’t any extra screws provided in the box, and we couldn’t figure out how to get a broken screw out of the lamp anyway. We thought this would be a great box light for a film photographer to use with slides or negatives, but unfortunately, it missed the mark as a SAD lamp due to its construction and lack of versatility and customization.

This SAD light therapy lamp model from Verilux did not impress us during testing, as it failed our drop tests, and its overall size was not large enough to shine its light as bright as the other lamps we tested. It's small and portable but lacks customization options and has poor construction.

At first glance, the Verilux HappyLight VT10 seems cute and versatile because of its small size. You could put it in a travel bag, a crowded desk or on a small nightstand. Its price tag is also appealing from a value perspective, plus the included instructions are thorough.

But this lamp was a dud. Because of the small, 20-square-inch surface area, the light felt less bright than the others we tested, and we really could have used the ability to adjust the angle. There aren’t any brightness settings or other extras to customize the light experience. The cord is the shortest we tested at 5 feet long. We could hear rattling pieces when we took it out of the box, as if poorly constructed rather than damaged in transit.

Our initial reaction to the rattling pieces was proven correct during the drop test. First, pieces broke off the top and bottom. On the second drop, the entire lamp shattered all over the room, including the fluorescent light bulb. Overall, this lamp is not even worth the low price tag. Spending a bit more will get a much better and longer-lasting product.